


20 - this sports called marriage (teamwork)

by kaiohtic



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Domestic, Genderbending, Light Angst, M/M, Slice of Life, female!sehun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-10 21:33:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8940154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaiohtic/pseuds/kaiohtic
Summary: Jongin just wants to make it work.





	

**Author's Note:**

> sorry for the late post. this is unbetaed ;u;

“Sehee?” Jongin asks. He takes off his shoes first despite feeling a bit uneasy. Usually, his wife would always come greet him by the door with a happy smile on her face and a chirpy _Jongin, I missed you_ , as well as a sweet kiss. For a person who likes plans and schedules, straying from a familiar routine seems off, especially, since he did not receive a call or a text. Sehee didn’t tell him she went out, so he assumes she must be at home. It’s not only the feeling of anxiety, but his mind is already conjuring up images of worst case scenarios.  
  
“Sehee!” Jongin shouts, his briefcase and jacket abandoned and forgotten in the hallway when he spots his spouse collapsed on the ground. He rushes over and kneels down next to her, desperately trying to remember the first aid course he had to take in order to get his driver’s license years ago. He is in panic but doesn’t dare to shake her and see if she is conscious, too scared of doing more damage. He calls the ambulance instead.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin has never been more scared in his life. Sehee’s complexion is pale. Her usual skintone is already fair, but she looks almost lifeless like this. There is a pulse though, he has checked before the ambulance arrived, and at least there doesn’t seem to be any external injuries.  
  
A check-up at the hospital confirms his suspicions: Sehee had overexerted herself, possibly with doing the housework apart from her part-time job. If it were up to him, he would have made Sehee stay at home all day so she wouldn’t have to tire herself out like this. He understands though, that as much as he wants to take away Sehee’s burdens, his wife is a modern woman, and that means she needs some work apart from the chores at home as well. It’s too boring to stay at home and taking care of the household. They don’t have children yet, and thus Sehee will be bored out of her mind with _too much_ routine. She needs something apart from that to do after spending 12 years of schooling and 4 years of college. It would be a waste if she didn’t.  
  
He sighs softly as he watches Sehee’s sleeping face. He should have noticed her exhaustion. He should have offered to help out at home, too. It’s not like he gets home at two or three in the morning, too exhausted to move a muscle. He gets home early enough so he can have dinner with his wife sometimes.  
  
Jongin remembers he did ask Sehee if he could help her with anything before, but as his wife continued to spoil him and tell him there was no need to, that she was perfectly able to handle it, he stopped at some point.  
  
“Jongin?”  
  
His attention is immediately drawn back to the woman on the bed. He smiles softly at her and brushes back a strand of hair from her face.  
  
“We…”  
  
“We’re at the hospital,” he finishes the sentence for her and shakes his head, gesturing for her to rest more. He helps her up and hands her a glass of water, all the while staying close to her and rubbing her arm to comfort her.  
  
“Focus on getting better, darling,” he whispers. “We’ll talk about this later.”  
  
Sehee just nods meekly, lower lip worried between her teeth as if she has something to say, but is too afraid of doing so. Jongin wants to ask, but he decides to let it be. Sehee definitely needs the rest.  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin has taken a day off work the next day. Since Sehee’s condition is stabilized, she is allowed to go home the next day after being monitored for a night.  
  
“You have to rest a lot today, too,” Jongin reminds Sehee when she heads straight to the kitchen. He pulls her back and, despite her complaints, manhandles her to the living-room where he makes her sit down on the couch. She is frowning at him, but Jongin can’t let her have it her way. He doesn’t want to see her fainting like that ever again.  
  
“But Jongin,” Sehee says. She is hugging a pillow and pouting at him. “I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you. That’s how it is in a marriage. I got married to you and vowed to do my best to be your ideal wife.”  
  
Of course, words like that make Jongin melt a bit, but he needs to make clear that Sehee can’t possibly continue on like this. He won’t forbid her to continue her part-time job, knowing that she likes her work. The company is a good one, too. It’s a smaller one and the CEO is an old school friend of theirs, so Jongin had made sure right from the start that Sehee wouldn’t be put under too much stress and pressure.  
  
“You’re perfect enough as it is,” Jongin starts. “I mean, look at you. I married a beautiful, smart and devoted girl who happened to love me back by some miracle. I never expected you to do this much for me. I do regret not having stopped you earlier.”  
  
“Now, I don’t want to be an oppressive husband who tells you what to do and what not to do, but I do want you to take better care of your health, and I want you to let me share some of your burden, too. Let me help you around the house. Let’s not be old-fashioned and distribute jobs like that, okay?”  
  
Jongin is smiling at her, fully expecting Sehee to agree with him right away, but she still looks conflicted.  
  
“What about other people? What about your parents? They won’t like seeing you working around the house after coming back from a full-time job. If I can’t handle it… I’ll just stop working, that’s okay, too,” Sehee whispers.  
  
And that is a fully different view. Jongin doesn’t understand how she would come to that conclusion. Why would his parents want her to do all the chores on her own? His parents are not that old-fashioned, he thinks, and Sehee should know.  
  
“My parents love you, Sehee,” Jongin reassures. He takes Sehee’s hands into his and squeezes them lightly.  
  
“They might even love you more than they love me,” he whispers. “But if you’re that worried, then we can visit my parents. I will talk to my parents and ask them about their opinion, but I’m sure they agree with me. Marriage means the two of us have to work together as a team. And as it is for every team, the team members are different with their skills and personalities. It doesn’t matter how everyone else is managing their job, but we’ll just do it the way that fits us best, okay?”  
  
“Okay.”  
  
  
  
  
  
Their routine didn’t change much after that. Jongin would come home late sometimes, but regardless of the time he returns home to his wife, he would ask her how her day has been first and check on her health. He would look at Sehee and carefully observe her, even though it makes her flustered and punch his arm - it’s rather endearing.  
  
He would ask her what works she has finished on that day, and depending on what is left to do, he would share the chores with her or he would usher her to the bathroom, telling her to freshen up and get ready for bed while he is doing the rest, usually just washing the dishes and clean around the kitchen and the living room. He doesn’t need almost an hour in the bathroom as her anyways (unless he takes a shower or a bath with his wife), so he has plenty of time to finish the last chores of the day before he gets to his fifteen minutes long preparation-for-bed routine.  
  
“It’s better working together as a team, no?” He asks when he slips into bed with Sehee later who is cuddled up against his chest.  
  
“Maybe,” Sehee mumbles. Jongin just chuckles and hugs her tighter. He thinks their team is doing quite well in this sports called marriage.


End file.
